The Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states of Ancient Greece. They were held in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin. Historical records indicate that they began in 776 BC in Olympia. The games were usually held every four years, or olympiad, which became a unit of time in historical chronologies.During the celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce,(A Truce was announced before and during the Olympic Games to ensure the host city state was not attacked and athletes and spectators could travel safely to the Games and peacefully return to their respective countries. During the Truce period ''lasting up to three months'',wars were suspended, armies were prohibited from threatening the Games, legal disputes were stopped, and death penalties were forbidden.),was enacted so that athletes could travel from their countries to the games in safety. The prizes for the victors were wreaths of laurel leaves.The ancient Greeks considered the rhythm and precision of an athlete throwing the discus as important as his strength.The discus was made of stone, iron, bronze, or lead, and was shaped like a flying saucer. Sizes varied, since the boys' division was not expected to throw the same weight as the mens.